Just wanted to share something.

I was looking around on a Christian forum, and perused the 'Prayer request' section. I was suddenly struck by the futility of it.

For a start, most people were asking for things like relief for illness, and help with relationships etc. Requests for real life problems, and not spiritual ones.

What was funny is when I imagined what one would pray because you don't even know the person in real life: "Dear Lord, I pray that you please help brother or sister donut1953 with their anal bleeding problem. May you have mercy on them dear Lord and relieve this Satan's affliction. In the name of Jesus - Amen".

How do people believe that your prayer suddenly 'activates' God's empathy with people's suffering? What they are actually saying is that God probably knows about the suffering and does nothing, then they pray and it convinces him to help. Also, does the amount of people who pray for the same thing put 'more pressure' on him to act? Absolute futile BS.

I think what is of actual value is when people reply and say they will pray for you, because of the feeling of support and not being alone, when your actual God does no such thing directly - ever.

Once again humans do all the heavy lifting for an almighty God. We write all his words or verbally tell them to others. We give moral support to the afflicted in his name. We form communities of belief in how he will save us from death. We go around spreading his gospel. We build mighty, wealthy religions in his name. We organize wars and murders and genocide in his name. We judge people to hell who do not agree with us, for him. We look at things that happen with him in mind and if they are good, attribute them to him. If they are bad WE take the responsibility for not having enough faith.

If you are doing all the work in a relationship, you must know that the other person is actually not present and maybe a figment of the imagination shouldn't you?

Well, that's it.
Amen